In India, according to Vedic system, the body is burned after death. They are not so foolish to stock and occupy millions of square yards. No. Body is finished; just burn it, finish. Why stock it in a tomb and occupy so much space? Practical, you see. So bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya. Bhasmī-bhūtasya means the body being burned, it becomes ashes.
So actually, the ultimate form or format of this body are three: either you become stool or you become ash or you become earth. Those who are burying underground, after few years the body will become earth. And those who are throwing on the street or on the water, so that body will become stool. Because if you throw on land, some jackals and some animals, some vultures, they will come and eat, and by after eating, it will be stool.
So either ashes or stool or earth. This is the last stage of this body. And we are taking of this stool, ash and earth so much without caring for the real vital force which moving the body. We are very much careful for ash, stool and earth, not careful of the living force which is moving this body, beautiful body. This body is beautiful, very attractive, very important, so long that spiritual spark is there. Otherwise it is stool, ash and earth. They do not know this.
So this requires intelligence. That intelligence is divided into this varṇāśrama-dharma. There must be intelligent class of men, brāhmin. They are called intelligent class of men. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). The society must be divided into four classes for cooperation—I have explained yesterday. So at the present moment, two classes are wanting: the brāhmin class and the kṣatriya class. The vaiśya class and the śūdra class and less than śūdra class are there. Because in the Kali-yuga, it is stated, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Kalau, in this age, most, major portion of the population will be śūdras. Śūdras means fourth-class men.
Fourth-class men means śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam. What is that? Paricaryātmakaṁ karmam (BG 18.44). Just like dog. A dog, unless it has got a nice master, it is street dog. A street dog. It has no value. Anyone can kill, and it has no shelter, loitering in the street. So śūdra means dog's position. If he does not get a nice master, then he's street dog. In spite of high education—M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C, and this and that—if he does not get any employment, he's street dog. What is his value? Eh? "Oh, I have studied high technical education." But if you do not get a service for using your education, then you are a street dog. Is it not? Everyone is searching after some service, service, service. So this service attitude means śūdra. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44).
In the śāstras, therefore, it is said that the brahmins, even there is some difficult time . . . just like nowadays, at the present moment, we are creating brāhmins, but people do not much like us. They do not care for us. "What is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, their street . . .?" They are thinking they are beggars. But they are the most intelligent class, brāhmaṇas. They do not honor. So this Kali-yuga, actual intelligent class of men has no honor. A third-class man, fourth-class man, fifth-class man has got honor if he gets some money. That is the system of Kali-yuga. Somehow or other, you gather money and you are fifth-class, tenth-class man—you will be honored. This is Kali-yuga. Not for your qualification, but because you have got money you are honored. This is going on.
So kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. At the present moment, 99%, .9 . . . 99.9, they are śūdras. Therefore the society is chaotic condition. Therefore in your country, you are the richest country in the world, you are producing hippies, frustration, confusion. Chaotic condition. And if you continue this, then you'll lose all your opportunities. Artificially, you cannot remain opulent for many days. There were so many empires—Roman Empire, British Empire, Moghul Empire. These were artificial.
If you systematically follow the Vedic principles as it is ordered by Kṛṣṇa . . . cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). You must divide the society according to quality and work, four classes of men: brāhmin, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. And less than śūdra, they are neglected.
Not neglected; they are incorrigible. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice, even those who are incorrigible, they can be devotee.